


And Stranger Things Than Death Can Happen

by ChingKittyCat



Series: PSMD Rewritten [10]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anger, Conversations, Evil, Gen, if you're wondering abt hoopa please check the timeline document found in the series link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:41:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28413312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChingKittyCat/pseuds/ChingKittyCat
Summary: They were not looking forward to going back to that place again.
Series: PSMD Rewritten [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057577
Kudos: 6





	And Stranger Things Than Death Can Happen

Hero and Partner hadn’t forgotten about Hoopa. The sacrifice he’d made on behalf of the both of them. It was just that they didn’t want to return to the Prehistoric Ruins, not without a good few people to help them through the dungeon. It was mostly for an emotional need— everyone there knew Hero and Partner were more than capable of fending for themselves.

Espurr did not question their need to bring another person despite their strength, nor their distinct desire to have Espurr be the one who came with. However, behind those vacant eyes, Hero could tell that Espurr was judging the other person they brought.

The Beheeyem was maybe even more nervous than Hero and Partner to return to this hovel at the bottom of the ocean. The alien never even so much as glanced at the bag that Partner always had slung over their shoulder. When he needed something (say, a berry) he would ask for it rather than retrieve it himself, then wait for Partner or Hero to toss it over to him.

His fear was palpable, even to non-negativity entities. It was almost suffocating. Yet, this man’s nervousness somehow quelled Hero’s own mind. Their own concerns, their own panic and anxiety suppressed by concern and annoyance. 

The floors were easier with Espurr by their side, and the noise of Beheeyem’s anxiousness blocked out anything else. Before they knew it, they’d been back at the very bottom of the pit, where Nuzleaf had told them of their imminent demise.

Yet.. Hoopa wasn’t there?

“Huh? Did Nuzleaf get to him first?” Partner ventured around the cave, even looking inside of the water for the statue of the resident Djinn. 

Hero kept a keen eye too. Perhaps a dungeon Pokemon had moved him somewhere? They didn’t see him on the way do- ow OW OW OW!

Hero hadn’t been watching where they were walking, and not only did they stub themselves on a rock, but tripped over it and smashed their face directly into the moist cave floor below.

They got up, a bit embarrassed, and prepared to kick the rock away for daring to trip them.

The rock had an eye on it, carved with exquisite detail. Hero reeled, silent horror spreading across their face. Why was there an eye on this rock? Why was it carved into this rock? Was it some part of the ruins? No, no, the ruin’s walls were blue, this was grey.

Grey... Like the statues.

“What’s wrong?” Partner cocked their head innocently, dashing over to Hero to make sure they were okay. Without much need for indication, Partner followed Hero’s eyes to the rock that had startled them so badly.

“W-What the!? That- that looks like Hoopa’s eye!” Partner yelped.

Espurr and Beheeyem quickly converged on the little rock, having similar reactions.

“H-How is this possible? The statue crumbled?” The Beheeyem stumbled his way through the sentence with all the cluelessness of the three kids in the room.

“You don’t know?” Espurr pressed.

“No! I didn’t think it was possible! I thought they’d have some magic.. Something or other to keep them from crumbling!” Beheeyem sounded distressed, as he now usually did.

Partner surveyed the room. The rocks were centralized in one spot. The spot where Hoopa was supposed to be. This piece had just rolled a bit far from the rest. Maybe that pile should’ve given them a clue, earlier, on what had happened.. But no one wanted to believe it.

“H-How.. How are we going to bring this back to Xerneas? Can Hoopa even be brought back like this?” Partner’s demeanor flattened. 

Yes, it was quite the predicament. Nothing they’d ever seen before. No one here was familiar with what this meant for getting Hoopa back, or even if Hoopa could be reached any more.

Well, except one monstrosity. 

Hero didn’t like it. The thoughtful gaze morphing into a disgusted scowl said it all. Partner must’ve come to the same conclusion, too, because they steeled their now stern eyes.

“Beheeyem, we’re going to need to talk to something. You might panick and do something, so please go wait a little ways away.” Partner commanded.

The Beheeyem was revolted at the command. Being told what to do by kids surely was a bit humbling, but that’s just how the cookie crumbles for adults trying to make it up to the children they (non-purposefully) hurt.

Grumbling, the Beheeyem turned tail and went to go wait nearby to the room’s entrance.

“I see why you decided to bring me with you instead of any grass type.” Espurr hummed. 

Partner inhaled, then sighed.

“Hey.. Um.. Dark Matter?” They said to their closed bag.

A soft silence was punctured only by the dripping of the ceiling. Partner, quickly irritated, shook the satchel a little bit.

“sTop IT.” The alien ordered. Partner complied, satisfied.

“My pops says it’s rude to not speak when you’re spoken to, y’know!” Partner scolded, though they had a somewhat cheery backing behind it that left it without any sting.

“do nOt spEAK tO  **mE** oN ‘ruDENeSs’! yOu..” Dark Matter trailed off into a growl. “nEverMiNd.”

“We need your advice on something.”

“i knOw. I hEaRd yoUr CONVersATiON.”

“So… What’s your advice?”

“wHAT maKeS yOu tHINK I WIll ASSisT YoU IN any FORM? i HavE NO WiSh tO undO my OWN wOrk.”

Partner groaned exaggeratedly and put the bag onto the floor. Rifling through the contents, they retrieved Dark Matter from the bottom. Like clockwork, of course Dark Matter was zapping them the entire time.

“Can’t you just at least monologue to us about how evil  _ this  _ is?” Partner stuck Dark Matter towards the pile of rocks.

Dark Matter’s core pulsed with light. Light which poured from its various cracks and marrs. It hissed in pain.

“I WOuLD FInd mucH moRE SADism IN it if i WErE CuRRenTlY in CONTROl of WhO'S hoLdInG Me. i see NO rEasoN TO ExpLain THE FULL HoRrific depTHS oF this.”

“You should! Oh, we’d be sooo scared!” Partner whimpered unconvincingly. “C’mon!”

“nO.”

Hero thought that they could always just whack it a few times against a rock until it did what they wanted. They shocked themselves from the idea, thinking maybe it might’ve been some sort of intrusive thought, but… This thing destroyed their planet. It deserved it, for the good of all the good people who’re suffering in some unholy pit of despair. For Nuzleaf.

“W-weLL…” Dark Matter’s voice shrunk. “i SuPPosE I CaN say soMethIng.”

Hero took a count of themselves. Did Dark Matter feel their intent? Is that why its demeanor had changed so suddenly? Hatred and violence was a ‘negative’ emotion— though Hero didn’t like to think of it that way. 

Partner, meanwhile, looked plum happy about Dark Matter’s acquiescence. 

“A shaTtEred staTUe shOWs thAt a moRtaL HaS LOST ThEmsELveS tO the VoidlAndS. tHeY aRE doOMeD tO waNDeR foR eTerNITy, neVER tO rEturn. no Matter hOW mUCH WaTeR, or MAGIc, Or WHAteVER ElSE is USeD On It, THey Will nOT REcovEr. AS yoUR mYThiCaL accomPLICE Was senT tO ThE deePEST Pits, tHeRE IS nO DoUBt TO wHy It iS a hopELEss wandERer Among THe VoiD.”

“N-No way. No.” Partner denied. “There’s always a way. There has to be a way! If he’s just wandering the Voidlands, then- then..!” Partner’s eyes glinted with a defiant sheen. “Someone could just bring him to the Door of Hope! It’d be easy, he has hoops he can teleport with!”

“iF tHis MORtal coulD do suCh A tHinG, PErhAPS it wOulD hAVE DoNe sO ALReadY, hm?”

There was also probably a reason that psychic types had actually been stuck inside the Voidlands. If they could just teleport out, it wouldn’t have even been an issue in the first place.

“yOu wiLL fIND noTHinG buT DESPair AND aGonY WaItIng FOR yOu if yOU WEre tO sEek iT Out. noT tHAt yOu COULD, aNYWaYs.” Dark Matter added snidely, confident it would crush Partner’s resolve.

Partner looked to Hero for comfort. “We need to get him.” Partner said, singularly.

Hero was tempted, almost, to shake their head. The thought of returning to that wasteland of torture and misery sucked the backbone right out of Hero. Just being there for the few days they were… It was a thing no one should go through.

Hoopa had cracked and shattered under the weight of the Voidlands. Whatever it did to him, it didn’t even compare to what Hero and Partner had gone through. At least, that’s what Hero assumed. The complete destruction of one’s resolve, and of a Mythical’s resolve at that… 

Hero felt their head creak as they nodded, slowly.

“Dark Matter. You’re the only thing on this planet that can turn people to stone now,” at least, they assumed as much, “so…”

“W-wHat!? hOw FoOLIsH cAN YoU BE!? iF i turn YoU to StOne AgAIN, tHat TrEE wilL smasH mE TO tWInkliNG bitS of Space duST!”

What a big chicken. Though Hero supposed they should be a little grateful for that.

“Espurr can tell Xerneas that we needed to be turned to stone to get someone out of the Voidlands. Plus, maybe, if we hold onto Hoopa and Xerneas brings us back to normal, it’ll bring Hoopa out with us?”

“NO. IT Will SEe YOuR StaTuES anD ThaT WIlL BE tHE eNd oF me.”

Xerneas certainly didn’t react well to when Dark Matter had attacked Nuzleaf. Hero really did think that this red stain was about to be wiped off the face of the planet.

“Espurr can hide you, if you’re that worried.”

“I DO noT fEEL FEaR.”

“Yeah, and my dad doesn’t lecture me. Anyways, can you do it, gumball?”

“dON'T. No.”

“You don’t know?”

“NO! don't caLl mE THAT, AND NO!”

Partner looked just as weirded out as Hero. Was Dark Matter suddenly having some change of heart on the ‘making everyone a statue’ thing? Ha! Yeah, real funny idea there.

“But you could do it the other day.”

Dark Matter sputtered at Partner’s observation.

“Don'T you THINk ThAT iF i hAD ThE capacity tO TurN yOu To StOne, I WoulD HaVe dONe It THe mOmeNt I COUld!? DO yOU Not REMemBEr mE SAyINg tHe OnLY ThInG THAT PRotEctS yoU fROm mE Is yOUr sCarfs!?”

Hero did recall that, yeah.. But barring that, Dark Matter hadn’t even been  _ trying _ . Maybe it’s because they were scared of Xerneas.

Partner’s face soured. They handed Dark Matter to Hero in a forceful shove while they grumbled, untying their scarf. It plopped onto the ground uselessly. Then, with all the delicacy of a Type Bulldozer emera, snatched Dark Matter back before Hero could throw the thing like a rubber ball.

“There, all ready to go! Hero, you take yours off too.”

Hero pouted, but nonetheless took off the symbol of their friendship with Partner. It would always be there for them when they came back out of it. They packed it into the bag so it wouldn’t get any dirtier.

“nO, but..” Dark Matter protested quietly. It trailed off into a groan. “i cAnnoT…”

“You didn’t have any gripes about trying to turn us to stone before!” Partner sounded impatient. 

“I HavE NO MOraL QualM WITH TurNing yOU BrazEN foOlS tO stoNe. a TrIP tO THE dEEPESt PIT is whaT yOu dESeRve to CUrb youR EgO.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Partner questioned. “C’mon already! The sooner we get in there, the sooner we get out!”

If Partner thought on the decision too long, Hero realized, they might actually decide against going. Maybe. No, no they wouldn’t. Hero knew they wouldn’t decide that someone was too far gone. 

Dark Matter hummed softly, the inside of its core glowing with light. It once more spilled from its cracks like a leaky cup, which it accentuated with a grunt as the light swiftly retreated back into it.

They stood around awkwardly, waiting for something to happen.

“Well?” Partner pressed.

“wHaT?”

“What do you mean, what! We need you to turn us to stone!”

“As much AS i WOuld eNjoy tHat-”

“It must not be able to.” Espurr observed, “I don’t know anything about Dark Matter, but maybe it’s too damaged to turn Pokemon to stone anymore.”

Hero was surprised yet not surprised. They were more surprised with how obvious that answer seemed, putting the pieces together. They’d literally watched as Dark Matter attacked Nuzleaf, only for Xerneas to intervene and give it another hole in its core. It didn’t even try attacking Xerneas for doing such a thing, so maybe the injuries  _ were  _ too much. 

“Well, we can’t give it a lot of power, or else it might turn  _ everyone  _ to stone again.”

“I Am abLe To tUrN others TO STONe. Do not THInk i am Not CaPable hERe. i siMPLY do not BElIEVE it IN thE bEst INTeRest OF my lOnGeviTY.” Dark Matter interrupted.

Hero knew their best interest in their longevity, and all this bickering and refusal and whining was not it. If they needed to go to the Voidlands, then they needed to go, and they needed Dark Matter to put them there. And put them there  _ now _ . 

“We can just stay here until Hero and Partner come back from the Voidlands with Hoopa. We do not have to bring your statues back to Xerneas unless you’re spending too long there.” Espurr observed. 

Dark Matter made a keen, exaggerated exasperation noise. 

“You’ll be  _ fiiiine _ ,” Partner dragged, “besides, Espurr is a great sentinel. She hardly ever blinks! She’ll be a good guard for you in the meantime if anything comes up. And besides, don’t you want to turn your worst enemies to  _ stone _ ?”

Hero smiled at Partner’s attempts to lure Dark Matter into doing what they wanted, even if it  _ was  _ something that would greatly harm both of them.

“..FiNE.” Dark Matter couldn’t help itself.

A small, black aura enveloped Dark Matter. Smoke fumed from its injuries like exhaust. The process took its toll on the evil creature, as it huffed and puffed, keeping more pained noises behind its glassy exterior with moderate success.

The smoke slowly but surely trailed up Partner’s arms, splots of stone appearing wherever it touched. Partner almost panicked, but stood still. The process was arduous, and it didn't help that Dark Matter kept stopping and starting. Partner almost looked concerned for its wellbeing as it put on this ‘pity me’ display.

Nevertheless, eventually it was over, and Partner had been reduced to a statue once again. Hero supposed it was their turn right after, and with a gruff glare, they reluctantly retrieved and held onto Dark Matter as well. 

“ThIS  _ is  _ VeRy CATHARTIC. yOUR FoOlISh ACComPliCE WaS COrrect in thAt SEnSE.” Dark Matter commented.

Hero had nothing to say to them. Nevertheless, the statue-ification process went on with all the setbacks that Hero saw enacted with Partner. Though, it was a touch faster so a bit less painful in terms of how long they were forced to wait to go to the worst place imaginable.

As the smoke consumed their face, their vision turned black.


End file.
